TONI: St. Johns has become very cosmopolitan. It’s not a large city by any stretch about 195,000 people. But there’s so much to do here. You can go any night of the week and see live music or a live theatrical performance.

We’ve got a beautiful new facility, called the Rooms. That houses the provincial art gallery, theater and archives. It’s fantastic.

I love St. Johns. I can walk by myself downtown at midnight and feel pretty safe.
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I knew Toni would try to “turn the table” at one point. I steered it back to it being about her eventually. LOL.

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TONI: But we should talk more about music, because you have a fantastic show, Salt Water Music. And I know that now it’s kind of the place to be for Newfoundland and Labrador and east coast artists to be played. Maybe I can kind of turn the table on you a little bit and ask if there’s anything maybe you want to know about some of your favorites or some of the people you’ve interviewed or played on your wonderful show?

ROB: You’ve done a lot of interviews with people, I’ve talked to like Ian Foster and Teresa Ennis.

TONI: Fergus O’Byrne too I believe.

ROB: Yeah. For Fergus you were partly responsible for that since we did the Newfoundland Herald interview then you were talking to Fergus during one of the weather hits.

You mentioned the interview and got my contact information and that’s how I got the interview with Fergus. So, thank you for that.

TONI: After I wrote that article a number of artists contacted me and wanted to know how to get in touch with you. Because you’re doing such a great service. Obviously every musician wants to have their music played on any radio station that will take them. But the unique thing about your program is that it possibly reaches a larger audience.

They get to play their music now for people who maybe hadn’t heard Teresa Ennis’s solo album since she was no longer with the Ennis sisters. Or maybe had never heard Fergus O’Byrne talk on the radio. Especially when you told me that wonderful story about your inspiration for Salt Water Music came from Ryan’s Fancy and from the death of Dermot O’Reilly.

Fergus will probably be one of the first to admit that their first stop in this country aside from Newfoundland was Ontario. Ryan’s Fancy did quite well there. It was great for Fergus knowing that there was somebody who was helping to keep great east coast music available to people in that part of the country.

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ROB: Before we go, Toni, any favorite songs from Newfoundland artists that you’ve been listening to?

TONI: I think you know this but my boyfriend Kenny Butler is a musician. He does have a beautiful song and I believe you play it on your show.

It’s called Breathe the Air. It’s a beautiful song. And so, I’d love to hear that one.

There’s another one and it’s by Ron Hynes, which I’m sure everyone in your listening audience is familiar with.

The wonderful Ron Hynes, a man of a thousand songs. Years ago many people will remember the Ocean Ranger, which was an oil rig off the coast of Newfoundland that sank on one horrible night around Valentine’s Day.

He wrote a song about that disaster and about the people left behind. The song is called Atlantic Blue and it is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. It’s so beautiful that I don’t think I’ve ever been able to listen to it and not cry. So, you could play that one for me too, if that’s okay.

[After playing those songs]

ROB: Your favorite song is one from the 80’s, is there a particular reason why that song became your favorite?

TONI: You’re talking about No One is to Blame, Howard Jones.

I think it’s just a very peaceful song that back in those days was around summer vacation. Probably came out when I was close to the end of high school. It’s just a very relaxing beautiful song.

And it talks about life too. No matter what happens, we can try not to hurt people but in the long run no one really is to blame for where their heart goes, where their heart leads them. I like that one.

ROB: I know you have a copy on vinyl.

TONI: I do. I wonder where I got that.

ROB: I don’t know.

TONI: Maybe a really good friend of mine in radio might have been able to track that one down for me.

ROB: Possibly.

TONI: Rob, thank you so much for inviting me on this show. I hope I haven’t bored you or your listeners too much. You’ve got such a fantastic show there, I’d hate to do anything to jeopardize it.

I want to thank you, not just for inviting me but for creating this wonderful show, Salt Water Music. I know that people not just in Newfoundland and Labrador appreciate that you’ve done this. But throughout the east coast of Canada, the artists who get to be played on this fantastic program.

I’m your numerous listeners love it too. And I know they appreciate that you’re bringing the east coast music back to Ontario.

Thanks to Toni Marie for doing the interview. I told her it wouldn’t be “boring” and I think you did learn a few things about her you didn’t know.

Even with how long we went there were things I forgot to talk about.

Toni said she can’t sing or act but I’ve seen her do both. Don’t know if they do them anymore but they used to have a charity fundraiser called Celebrity Secrets in town. Local media people would go on stage and sing songs or do skits.

One year she was part of a group of women from NTV with a song parody of a Dixie Chicks song. Another year she did a skit where her and another woman were playing older women from Newfoundland talking about hospitals. They broke out into “Sneeze Away” a parody of “Heave Away”. Which was quite funny. I recall she had so many requests to see it she played it on Entertainment News 2 weeks in a row.

Other thing I forgot was how she enjoys certain Hard Rock/Alternative music. Playing Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson in her car for example.

Tomorrow I’ll put up the story where she got tricked into mispronouncing Patrick Roy on the radio. Something extra. I’ll use Roy for the proper way to say it, and ROY in caps as in ROY Rogers.